The First Time
by MatteaAM
Summary: - "Meeting you was fate, becoming your friend was a choice, but falling in love with you I had no control over." -
1. The Word Of The Wise

The idea for this came suddenly, and _**MarciaRebafan**_ said I had to do it.

So she's the one to blame.

This will be the list of all the first times in Jenny's and Gibbs' relationship.

Drabbles, probably. Up to 500 words. Longer, if necessary.

15 of them, most likely. The list exists, but I cannot promise how often I will upload it.

The first one should follow soon after; hope you like it.

If you have any suggestions or ideas for the first times you'd like to read, let me know.

**MAM xx**


	2. The First Time They Met

**AUTHOR'S NOTE** – I am not too happy with this drabble, but it's a start. I hope you like it.  
This is not beta'd, so I own all the mistakes. Don't you dare steal them! :)

**SPECIAL THANKS** – go to _**MarciaRebafan**_, who made me go through with this. I hope neither of us regrets it.

**DISCLAIMER** – I owe nothing but _Jethro_ the computer and some other minor things. None of them, however, are Jenny and Gibbs. I'd love to play with them, though! :b

* * *

**THE FIRST TIME THEY MET**

"The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances; if there is any reaction, both are transformed." – _Carl Gustav Jung_

* * *

The moment he had laid his eyes on her, he knew he was in for one hell of a ride. This was the first time he had a woman on his team and, even if he would never admit it, he had his doubts – he wasn't sure how to treat her, wasn't sure of her skills, wasn't even sure this was a woman's job. He might have been overprotective, even if _chauvinist_ was more like it.

When he saw her, he did a double take. Not only was she beautiful – she was a redhead. He knew then, gods must be playing with him. How was he supposed to take her seriously? But when his eyes locked on her enchanting greens, her hand taking his in a firm grip that took him by surprise; when she didn't look away, but spoke in a determined tone, he knew she would be the death of him.

It would be a lie to tell she was not nervous. Truth was she was, very much so. More than she would ever admit. This job meant a lot to her and she knew that women were rare in it, so she was up for much more challenges. However, she kept her head high and her eyes wide open. And then she saw him.

Her boss to be. A tall, dark haired man with the most piercing blue eyes she has ever seen. She withheld a sigh and a roll of the eyes, remembering to thank the gods later for messing with her heart. Instead, she held his look as long as she could, shaking his hand and keeping her voice as steady as she possibly could.

"Agent Jenny Shepard, nice to meet you."

"Gibbs."

Her voice was soft, but to the point. His was gruff, but not off-putting. They continued their staring contest, mesmerised by the eyes of the other; hands holding maybe a millisecond longer then they should have.

But it was enough for both of them to notice.

Yes, they were in for one hell of a ride.

* * *

**- TBC -**


	3. The First Time They Fought

**AUTHOR'S NOTE** - I have come to a conclusion that I am no good in pre-sex Jibbs, so I'm gonna go with the UST wherever I can. I hope you can forgive me. :)  
This is still not beta'd and I am still blaming _**MarciaRebafan**_. And so should you. xD

**DISCLAIMER - **No.

* * *

**THE FIRST TIME THEY FOUGHT**

"We are going to have peace even if we have to fight for it." - _Dwight Eisenhower_

_

* * *

_

The tension in the room could be cut with a knife.

The silence was unnerving.

The mouths tightly shut; jaw muscles tense; eyes wide and staring at the other.

Everybody else suddenly disappeared.

Figuratively and literally.

He never thought he would find someone who would challenge him so much. Someone who would not back down, but stand their ground firmly. Someone who would stand up to him every opportunity they got.

She never met anyone who made her quite so frustrated. Who made her doubt her believes so much. Who pushed her to her limits. Who almost begged to be fought with.

It was a challenge neither was ready to back down from.

And when all the bickering and teasing and probing finally erupted and exploded, everyone who found themselves in the eye of the storm knew better than to stay and witness _the first fight._

"Fine!" – She half-screamed after the long silence.

"Fine!" – He snarled in return.

And so the silence re-descended upon the bull-pen.

The calm before the storm. Because _this_ was far from over.

* * *

**- TBC -**


	4. The First Time She Realised She Was

**AUTHOR'S NOTE** - And we come to the third _First. _I do realise they keep getting shorter and shorter. Let's just hope there are some words left when we get to number fifteen.  
Um...I chose this cause in the show...well, you'll see. It might also be addressed in the drabbles to come, towards the end. (Yes, I have actually given this some though. Shocking, I know! xD )  
Still not beta'd.

**DISCLAIMER** - Nope. None of it. Not even a quote.

* * *

**THE FIRST TIME SHE REALISED SHE WAS ATTRACTED TO HIM**

"Attraction is beyond our will or ideas sometimes." - _Juliette Binoche_

_

* * *

_

Maybe she should have realised it when she caught herself constantly staring at him.

Or it should have occurred to her when the mere touch of his hand on hers caused her to break into goose bumps.

Or when she kept thinking about him after hours; when she didn't even notice she called him _Jethro_; when she didn't mind him calling her _Jen._

The moment it did hit her, however, came completely unexpected. And boy, did it hit.

Like a ton of bricks.

An everyday trip to a crime scene. A boring talk with the witnesses. A usual banter. A not-so-usual scene of one Leroy Jethro Gibbs playing with a child. A shock.

An eye-opener, if you will.

A smile that reached his eyes; a ten-years-younger look on his face; the sound of his laughter she had never heard before.

_That _was the moment Jenny Shepard realised she was attracted to her boss.

* * *

**- TBC -**


	5. The First Time He Almost Kissed Her

**AUTHOR'S NOTE** - I really have nothing else to say, apart from _enjoy!_ :)

**DISCLAIMER** - Do I have to do this every time? *sighs* Fine! I do not own any of it. Nothing...

* * *

**THE FIRST TIME HE ALMOST KISSED HER**

"That was just almost one of those kissing moments, wasn't it?" – _Reba_, 4x13 (_Date of Mirth_)

* * *

It was only a moment. Maybe even shorter than a second. But they both felt it.

It was as if for that briefest of moments, the world consisted of only two of them. Everything else ceased to exist.

She – eyes sparking in the sun, hair flying around in the gentle breeze, lips slightly parted.

He – worry in his eyes, frown on his face, jaw-muscles tight.

She was still gasping from the fall, her hand was still firmly in his.

He tilted his head slightly to the side, his eyes widening, still looking into hers. He moved forward ever so slightly.

There was only one thing on his mind. And it was most definitely not the fact that his partner just took a nasty fall down the hill.

He could only see her bottom lip caught between her teeth and fleetingly wonder what it would feel like to kiss her.

He moved even closer. Or was it her this time? He really wasn't paying much attention.

"Good God, Jennifer. What has happened to you?" – Ducky's voice filled the silence and, not even noticing, the good doctor burst the bubble.

The moment was gone, just like that.

They sprung apart, as if burnt by fire. Both ignoring the moment that just passed. Neither willing to admit what it might mean.

But later, in the silence of his basement, with the boat as his only company, he could no longer run from himself. He had to face the truth, no matter how scary it was.

And the truth was, he wanted to kiss her.

Or even scarier, he still does.

Saved by the bell, he though.

The only question was, what would stop him next time?

* * *

**- TBC -**


	6. The First Time He Risked His Life

**AUTHOR'S NOTE** - I'm sorry it took me forever to update this, but this one was particularly hard to write and I am still not at all happy with it. But I did have to put it up so I could go on, in the direction everybody will be happy about! :)

**DISCLAIMER** - Well, if you haven't noticed it in the previous chapters, then I will just leave you in the belief that I do, indeed, own everything. *grins*

* * *

**THE FIRST TIME HE RISKED HIS LIFE FOR HER**

"If you wait to do everything until you're sure it's right, you'll probably never do much of anything." – _Win Borden_

_

* * *

_

Of course it was not his first time and of course such a thing was to be expected in his line of work.

However, when the shock wore off, when the bastard was behind the bars, when she put her hand on his shoulder and whispered her thanks, it hit him like a speeding train.

He would have risked anything for her.

There was something about her he didn't let himself see. It was always easier for him to turn his head the other way, to pretend there was nothing going on.

But when he held her in his arms, for a moment scared beyond his mind that he was not fast enough, that she took the bullet, all of his walls fell and he was left with the realisation that she meant to him much more than she should.

And, try as he might, there was no way back from there. Those walls were not going back up again.

So when he finally faced himself, even if it was a couple of days later, he came to the realisation that he was scared and on the verge of something that maybe won't happen and most certainly shouldn't.

He didn't know what scared him more though – the fact that he risked his life for hers without the second thought or the fact that he would have done it all over again.

* * *

**- TBC -**


	7. The First Time They Had Sex

**AUTHOR'S NOTE** - First of all, thanks to everybody who reviewed so far. Means a lot! Well...Here we go, people. Plunging head first into the very well known waters. :)  
Enjoy! :)

**DISCLAIMER** - *sighs* No, I do not own NCIS. DPB does...so, if you have any problems, he is the man for you.

* * *

**THE FIRST TIME THEY HAD SEX**

"It is not sex that gives the pleasure, but the lover." – _Marge Piercy_

_

* * *

_

He should have seen it coming.

She should have seen it coming.

God knows everybody else did. It was hard not to.

The unresolved sexual tension was becoming more obvious with each day and it was almost palpable. Whoever sent them on a mission together was obviously as blind as they were.

They pushed it as long as it could be pushed. They came as far as they could pretending not to notice anything.

It was the hot summer evening, a lot of stress, very small and very stuffy attic in Marseilles and one glass of bourbon too many that finally tipped the balance.

The scene played out as if rehearsed, no mistakes, no awkwardness, no pauses.

Just the sound of sexual tension resolving itself.

Her back, hard against the wooden boards on the wall; him, pressed tightly against her.

His mouth against her neck; hers gasping for air.

Her hands on him; his fingers inside her.

Testing and tasting. Teasing and probing.

Moaning and screaming.

It was over before they knew it.

And there was no going back.

* * *

**- TBC -**


	8. The First Time They Kissed

**AUTHOR'S NOTE** - Well...um...I'm kinda running out of the things to say...  
Oh yeah. Thank you all for the lovely reviews. I got really good response for the previous chapter. I wonder why...ROFL

**DISCLAIMER **- Again? *sighs* No.

* * *

**THE FIRST TIME THEY KISSED**

"A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous." - _Ingrid Bergman_

_

* * *

_

It has been thirty-six hours since they crossed the line between professional and personal. There was just a blur now where the line used to be, and both of them were as far from it as possible.

The incident was not discussed.

The silence was becoming so heavy and uncomfortable, neither was sure how long they would be able to take it.

Finally, as the night fell, she turned to him and started talking. Making points as to why it was just a mistake, a moment of irresponsibility. Completely understandable, considering the situation. They should just forget about it and pretend like nothing happened.

As he listened to her ramble on and on, his eyes drifted off to her lips.

Her full, red, pouting, teasing lips.

His head filled with the memories of what exactly those lips were capable of.

Suddenly, he tugged at her arm, her body colliding with his, lips pressed together.

Stopping her mid-sentence.

She froze, at first, taken aback and freaked out.

But as soon as his hands gripped at her hips, her arms wound around his neck and all her points went flying right out of the small, half-broken roof-window.

His tongue touched her lips, parting them and finding its way to hers.

The touch was soft at first, turning into aggressive and passionate in the matter of moments.

Hands gripping, minds blank.

The blurry line disappeared completely.

* * *

**- TBC -**


	9. The First Time She Realised She

**AUTHOR'S NOTE** - Here's more! :) You have been very, very nice with your reviews. I'm humbled. *blushes*  
Now, I hope to update _All Good Things..._ some time soon, too.  
Well, here's that...enjoy! :)

**DISCLAIMER** - Isn't there an easier way to do this? *sighs*

* * *

**THE FIRST TIME SHE REALISED SHE LOVED HIM**

"The most important things are the hardest to say, because words diminish them." – _Stephen King_

_

* * *

_They were just having a good time. That was it.

Until they weren't any more.

Until he got shot.

Until she realised he meant to her much more than _a good time._

As she sat in the living room, waiting for Ducky to patch him up, she had nothing to do but to think. To relive the dreadful moment over and over again.

The gunshot. His painful yelp. The blood stain on the floor. Her racing heart.

The feeling she still couldn't identify.

She remembered feeling her heart beating in her throat, breaking out into a cold sweat, falling on her knees next to him, trying to stop the blood, all the while having this awful feeling she never felt before.

Later, much later, she realised what that feeling was.

The fear of losing him. Forever.

And then, it hit her, in the living room of their little house in the suburbs of Paris.

She fell in love with him.

And as she walked in his room, to see him pale, bruised and bloody, she realised there were no words to describe just how deeply and irreversibly.

* * *

**- TBC -**


	10. The First Time She Thought About Leaving

**AUTHOR'S NOTE** - Please don't kill me? *grins*  
Yes, the nice part is over. And now, the angst comes.  
Enjoy!

**DISCLAIMER** - Nope. Nuh-uh. Nada. Not a thing.

* * *

**THE FIRST TIME SHE THOUGHT ABOUT LEAVING HIM**

"Moving on is simple. It's what you leave behind that makes it so difficult." - _Unknown_

_

* * *

_

We cannot choose what we think. Our thoughts come randomly and unexpectedly. But once they enter our minds, there is little to nothing we can do to un-think them.

It was a few days after she got the offer that the thought of leaving him entered her mind.

And once there, she could do little not to think about it. Not to question his feelings every time his smiled at her, every time he touched her, every time he kissed her.

The doubt reared its ugly head, and she started to wonder if she was just another notch on his belt. Just another number on his list. Just a transition in-between the wives.

Or worse, an ex-wife to be.

Rationally, she should have known she was trying her hardest to push him away to make it easier for her to leave.

Rationally, she should have known his feelings were as far from what she doubted them to be as possible.

But rational had no place in her mind.

Suddenly, all she could think about was running away before it got too serious. Too deep.

Before the damage was done.

But who was she kidding really? The damage had already been done and there was no going back to the person she was before.

All she could do now was run.

* * *

**- TBC -**


	11. The First Time He Realised He Was

**AUTHOR'S NOTE** - I have realised that the more I think about them, the less I like them. The drabbles, that is. Not Jibbs, by any means. :)  
Only five more left after this, kiddies.  
Oh, also, I hope this is angsty enough for you. I fear my angstiness might have drowned in the recent flood of smut. *sighs*

**DISCLAIMER** - Still no.

* * *

**THE FIRST TIME HE REALISED HE WAS IN LOVE WITH HER**

"The heart was made to be broken." – _Oscar Wilde_

_

* * *

_

He could run from himself only so far. He should have known that by now.

But still, he ran. He ran until he couldn't any more. Until there were no more places to run and no more places to hide. Until there was no more bourbon to drown the reality in, until the skin on his hands became bloody and sore.

And when the truth finally caught up with him, it hit him with all its interests.

And he was faced with it where he usually was faced with his truths – in his basement, in the silence, alone.

She was gone.

That he accepted. That he made peace with. That he might even forgive her.

The truth he was faced with, months after she had left, was not even that he missed her. That he also knew.

No, the truth that hit him out of the blue was the fact that he was in love with her.

That was where his running, his hiding, his denying ended. That was where he met the dead-end.

_That _was the thing he could never forgive her.

She made him vulnerable like he hasn't been in years; practically a sitting duck. And then she shot him. She left him.

She broke his heart.

No goodbye; no explanation. Just him and the scribbled letter, left to mend his wounds. To try and fix his heart.

Again.

And he would try and hate her. And he would try and forget her.

But he already knew.

Try as he might, she would still be gone and he would still be in love with her.

* * *

**- TBC -**


	12. The First Time They Saw Each Other Again

**AUTHOR'S NOTE** - Okay, we're back to where we all wanna be.  
And from now on, we are going _AU_! Have a good trip! ;)

**DISCLAIMER** - Nuh-uh!

* * *

**THE FIRST TIME THEY SAW EACH OTHER AGAIN.**

"I was born the day I met you; lived while you loved me; died a little when we broke up." – _In A Lonely Place, The Smithereens_

_

* * *

_

She was sitting in the front row, eyes on the screen.

She was trying to concentrate, but all she could feel was her palms sweating and her heart pounding in her ears; her voice shaking ever so slightly as she congratulated her men on the first successful mission under her command.

This was going to be one hell of the trip down the memory lane. The one she wasn't sure she was ready for.

Finally, she put on her best poker face and turned around, their eyes meeting.

Time stopped. World ceased to exist. Breath escaped her lungs.

She couldn't look away, couldn't even blink; mesmerised all over again by the endless blue of his irises.

His hair was slightly more silver and there were a few new lines on his face, but the look in his eye was still the same – a mirror to his soul, if you knew what to look for.

And suddenly, she found herself hoping to God she still possessed her skills in reading him.

Seconds seemed like hours as she tried to produce some kind of intelligent sound.

"Hello, Jethro," – finally left her lips.

Two words.

Two words and a millisecond-long look at her was enough to bring back the images he thought long buried in the back of his mind.

Not forgotten. Never forgotten. Images like that you don't forget.

Her; over him, around him, under him. Moaning, screaming, touching, kissing. Bar-gripping, white knuckles. Sweat.

Hours of limitless passion.

He finally managed to acknowledge her with a small nod of the head and as she started talking, he could feel his body relax.

Everything was back in its rightful place.

* * *

**- TBC -**


	13. The First Time She Realised She Was Stil

**AUTHOR'S NOTE** - I really have nothing else to say here, except _enjoy_! :)

**SPOILERS** - This is taking part during _Kill Ari (Part I_)_. _A famous '_stairs-talk_', if you will - the scene that always makes my heart ache and my eyes misty. I do not know why. *shrugs* :P

**DISCLAIMER** - I own only this idea. The characters belong to DPB and he treats them _oh so_ nicely! *nods*

* * *

**THE FIRST TIME SHE REALISED SHE WAS STILL IN LOVE WITH HIM**

"It's hard to tell your mind to stop loving someone when your heart still does." - _Unknown_

_

* * *

_

Four words.

Four words laced with so much sincerity, her heart skipped a beat.

_I missed you, Jen._

His eyes suddenly had a glint to them like they hadn't a moment before and his voice was soft, the way she remembered it from Paris.

The way he used to talk only to her.

_Jen_, the dreaded name. The name she hadn't heard in six years.

Suddenly, she wanted to smile. But that was out of the question.

She could feel her throat constricting as she tried to say what she had to say, what was now expected from her to say.

"Don't make this difficult, Jethro."

She hated how pleading her voice sounded.

How his name escaped her lips, how it rolled off her tongue. How she wanted to say it over and over again.

"Fair enough. Won't happen again."

Just like that, the glint was gone and she found herself wanting to take everything back.

She couldn't, she knew she couldn't. But that didn't stop her heart from aching on his next words.

_Director._

Oh, how she suddenly hated the title she sacrificed so much for.

The title she sacrificed _him_ for.

And as he moved out of her way, as she caught the disappointment in his eyes, she realised that all those years of telling herself she was over him were for nothing.

Because it took her all of ten minutes to realise she was still in love with him.

* * *

**- TBC -**


	14. The First Time He Kissed Her Again

**AUTHOR'S NOTE** - Good evening! Welcome to _AU_. Have a safe read! ;)

**SPECIAL THANKS -** to everyone who has reviewed so far. I have reached one hundred reviews, and that makes me super happy! :)

**SPOILER** - This takes part during _Silver War_.

**DISCLAIMER** - Nada!

* * *

**THE FIRST TIME HE KISSED HER AGAIN**

"A kiss makes the heart young again and wipes out the years." – _Rupert Brooke_

_

* * *

_

He caught a look in her eyes, that brief moment on the steps.

She was jealous and she had no right to be. _She_ turned _him_ down.

And that pissed him off.

So he stormed into her office that evening, after she had been avoiding him all day.

He went there with only one intention – to confront her.

But, will against will, mind against mind, in the truest of their fashions, the conversation turned into a fight before it even began.

And as she lectured him for bringing personal life to a work place, her look gave her away. The slight tremor of her voice. The way her hands tightened into fists until her knuckles turned white.

The way she avoided to look him in the eye.

That was when he realised it was not jealously in her eyes, but hurt.

He froze for a moment, not knowing what to make of it; how to react.

The room went quiet, their breaths only thing that could be heard. Tension started to build.

Finally, he moved in front of her, invading her personal space.

He opened his mouth to say something, anything.

But as she lifted her eyes up, finally meeting his gaze; as he saw that look again, there was only one thing he could think of doing.

He cupped her face with his hands, bringing her lips to his.

A fleeting touch, a mere whisper of a kiss was all it took for the emotions to resurface, and before he knew it, they were gripping on each other as if lives depended on in. Tongues duelling where voices were seconds ago. Hands touching places long forgotten. Minds in some other time, some other place; a lifetime ago.

Seconds seemed to last forever.

Finally, she pushed him way, a horrified look on her face. She grabbed her briefcase and left without a word.

And all he could do was wonder _what __the hell_ had he been thinking.

_

* * *

_**- THE END -**_  
_


	15. The First Time I Messed Up

_Dear all_,

as some of you have kindly pointed out, I messed up.

So, I was watching Chile x Spain while updating this, and was highly distracted, so my concentration level was around, well 0%.

And that is why I, out of habit, wrote **- THE END -** instead of **- TBC -** .

This series is still not over - there are two more chapters to come.

Thank you to _**purplemonkeyz48 **_and _**beingKitKat **_for kindly pointing it out.

I am now returning to writing chapter four for _All Good Things..._

We shall meet here again on Sunday.

_Love, **M**. xx_


	16. The First Time She Decided To Try Again

**AUTHOR'S NOTE** - Firstly, I'm sorry this wasn't up on Sunday. Or Monday, for that matter. The packing got better of me. I'll do my best to put the last one tomorrow. Secondly, yes, this is the penultimate First. So sad...:P  
And thirdly, I'm super tired now and I pretty much made myself type this. So if you hate it...well, I'm sorry. I'm not too happy with it either.

**DISCLAIMER **- I do not own them. If I did, blah blah blah ...

* * *

**THE FIRST TIME SHE DECIDED TO TRY AGAIN**

"Her lips on his could tell him better than all her stumbling words." – _Margaret Mitchell_

* * *

It has been three weeks. Twenty-one days. Too many hours to count.

And with every minute, the tension between them grew.

The interaction came down to a bare minimum.

The glances became longer. More longing. Sad.

To say that she was confused would be an understatement.

That day, as she watched him, however, the clouds of confusion cleared away and the realisation shone brighter than ever before.

She was suddenly transcended to another time and another place; another child, but the same man. And the same expression on his face.

And then, as the clear sky, she saw the solution right in front of her.

When he strode into her office that evening, reports in hand, she offered him a drink.

The surprise was there but he accepted nonetheless.

The silence was killing her, but every time she opened her mouth, nothing came out.

Finally, as he went to put the glass back in its place, she stood in front of him.

"Jethro, we have to talk."

Silence was his only answer.

"I have been – uh – when you – um – why did you..."

She closed her eyes momentarily, taking a deep breath to calm herself down.

"I think we have to – uh – I, I think..."

Oh, it was getting ridiculous.

She lifted her eyes at last and one look into his blue irises was enough for her to realise what she had to do.

She pulled his face down so suddenly, he had to grab her shoulders to hold on.

Sealed lips; the kiss soon turned into that of passion and love.

Everything was crystal clear.

They didn't do talking. Talking was for the others.

_Them?_

They understood each other perfectly without a word said.

* * *

**- TBC -**


	17. The First Time They Made Love Again

**AUTHOR'S NOTE** - Everybody please, look out of the window. Do you see flying pigs?  
Yes, I have finished my first ever MC story. I am so very proud of myself. _And _I made it all in a month. :)  
This is the shortest of all, but I hope it will be enough for you.  
I just want to thank each and every one of you who read and reviewed this, especially those who reviewed every single drabble. It means _so _much. Thanks for all the alerts as well.  
And if you read them and didn't review any, just drop me a line now so I know you enjoyed...if you did, that is. :P

**SPECIAL THANKS **- go, naturally, to _**MarciaRebafan**_ and _**Psycho Maddy**_, for kicking my ass, holding my hands and being amazing friends in general. When I thought of this idea, it was a joke, but _**MarciaRebafan**_ made me write it, so I guess she is the one I owe the most. Thank you, my dears! :)

**DISCLAIMER -** For the last time - No, I do _not _own them!

* * *

**THE FIRST TIME THEY MADE LOVE AGAIN**

"Meeting you was fate, becoming your friend was a choice, but falling in love with you I had no control over." – _Unknown Author_

* * *

The ride to her house couldn't have ended faster.

She fumbled with the keys; fingers shaking, breaths short.

His lips marked her neck, hands wandering.

Door closed, her back pressed against it in no time.

Lips parted, eyes tightly shut.

A moment of stillness.

Up the stairs on fast forward and then it all became slow motion.

She shivered at the gentleness of his caresses as the pieces of clothing were shed.

He sighed touching her soft skin.

Kisses were languid, movement minimum.

The painful slowness they practiced only a handful of times before.

The friction became more pronounced; room filled with sighs and moans – their kind of sweet nothings.

Eyes locked; fingers entwined.

A kiss, cementing the sweet reunion.

Later, lying in each other's arms, no words were necessary.

Never were.

This time there was no giving up.

This time they'll make it work.

This time it will last.

This time...

* * *

**- THE END (_the real one this time_) -**


End file.
